Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-07-08
TRAINING HANDS AND HEAD.

the Sandwich Islands was alone WORT
all the money paid in that direction
since 1881, for it gave the Unite'
States n man who was ready at thu
close of the civil war to sense and SHAPE
the work necessary TO mold race il
chaos to the symmetry of citizenship
The life of Rev. Richard Armstrong
who married Miss Clarissa Chapman
of Westlield, sister OF the late Chic
Justice Chapman. reveals strong
J character that went on TO development
over the prejudices of his time and en-
yiroument. TO other missionaries the
fact that Mr.. Armstrong accepted the
office of minister of public instruction
( in Hawaii seemed very like the aband-
onment of the sacred for the secular
oi,ice--bnt with simple courage and
great sagacity he took up the greater
work. Samuel q. Armstrong. his son,
saw tue methods employed, and
absorbed the spirit of his father.
Kings, chiefs, and people were mere
children. governed bv impulse. untrain-
cd to thinking, selfish or generous as
their moods changed, utterly unable to
guide their conduct by any fixed princi-
ple"--does not that description tell the
whole story of negro and Indian
character rs wellP So when the years
rolled by and Gen. Armstrong, after
the rebellion had been happily ended,
was detailed 10 look after our centra-
bands at Hampton, he was not I'M
familiar with the conditions that sur
rounded him. He was the man for the
opportunity, aud he rose to tho mastery
of u.
What has he done? He has begun
ut the bottom and bo has been since
1867 laying ample Foundations on which
are slowly rising prosperous and self
respecting citizenship for two belated
races. He has done more for his
country than presidents, senators, and
congressman. and no man deserves
better the generous recognition that
has come and is each year being more
amply raid TO this modest apostle of
progress. These are strong words,
given with no reservations, but they
are true and sober statements of fact
The man who can look over what has
been done for the some 600 pupils now
in the Hampton institute. 1871 OF them
Indian boys and girls; who can see
them march into Virginia ball with
martial precision, bright, neat, am
bilious; who is capable OF comprehend
ing the atmosphere that is cast about
them. and yet escapes a stir in his
heart and n glow in his blood, that one
Is no lover of his kind and his nation
not a true Americani
With the details of this work your
readers are pretty familiar, but there
are portions Of 1t that touch with a
quickening impulse and an illumina-
ting power our whole educational and
industrial situation. and let me speak
Of some OF them. The American col
lego is a growth out of local conditions,
and IL must be recognized on the whole
as very well adapted to perform q
needed work. Perhaps it is just as
well that the boy who seeks aid
should he taken along the borders of
knowledge in many lines. trained to
obey and respect authority, and then
ut the end of four years be left to adj
just himself as best he may to the
novel conditions of actual life. The
young men SO circumstanced can af-
ford 20 do this thing. Not so with
others, not so with the great mass OF
those who can command only the aid
Of our eommon-sohool system. and en-
| phatically not SO with these "mere
children. y the negro and Indian youth.
| Back we must 20 to the sound and
wholesome elementary conditions of
life, seeking to train our youth as
soldiers and drill for battle, making
each a capable factor in the ranks oil
citizenship.
What are we going to offer such a.
these We are going to train them in
the simple lessons of right thinking, OF
decent living, and give thom the hand
practced in something that mon are
doing for n livelihood every day in the
! year. This is the climax here, and sc
1t must be in the public schools, ant
events are making the duty of the state
plain and Imperative all over the land
There are things to be learned her,
about the wise adaptation of means tc
ends. These negro and Indian youth,
come with no good background to ex
ercise its unconscious but most poten
influence in shaping their lives rattle
the reverse is true. This whole lif
must be reformatorS, m uplifting on
Of dark and undesirable conditions an,
tendencies, There must be reform, no
Tor conscious misdoiug. but for circum
staucing. of m sfortuno and not o
fault. Race Weaknesses are to be com
bated with tho tact that creates ney
atmosphere aud gives 1t freedom b
operate. The industries OF the institu
ton offer its most practical aud valu
able side. 1t was not difficult I,
t construct and teach in the good oil,
ways, but that was not enough. Thu
Tar numbcrless schools had blazed tn
, way. That truism about the devil an,
idle hands states the mischief 10 b
> oycrthrown here, II was and is no les